Highlighting a weekend of new records, the Binghamton men’s 4×800 relay team placed first at the ECAC/IC4A Indoor Track Championships in Boston. The quartet, which consisted of freshman Eric Holt, sophomore Adam McIe, junior Jesse Garn and senior Chris Fernandez, clocked a time of 7:23.33 to break BU’s school record for the second time that weekend.
“What a fantastic run,” Binghamton head coach Mike Thompson said, according to BUBearcats.com. “Everyone was at their best and just killed it. This is an all-time great Binghamton performance.”
The time is the event’s fastest in Division I this year, but unfortunately for Binghamton, the 4×800 relays are not an event at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
In the qualifying race the previous day, the Bearcats shattered the old record of 7:34.32, set in 2011, with a new time of 7:28.39.
This record-breaking performance is just the latest peg of a phenomenal stretch for Garn, who ran the anchor leg for the winning relay in 1:47.5. It comes just one week after his sub four-minute mile at the Last Chance Meet, two weeks after he won the America East title for the 1,000 meter race and three weeks after running the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games.
On Monday, the America East named Garn the Most Outstanding Track Performer of the conference championship. Freshman sprinter Jon Alkins was honored as the meet’s top rookie, and the men’s team secured the co-Coaching Staff of the Year award.
The women’s team’s performance in Boston was highlighted by freshman Sarah Haley, who earned an eighth-place tie in the pole vault with a height of 11-11 ¾. Haley won the event at the America East Championships.
The women’s 4×400 relay team of freshman Sarah Osaheni, junior Ivory Taussig and seniors Kathleen Klein and Erika Kisel also set new records for BU. The quartet finished ninth overall with a program record-breaking time of 3:45:93. The old record of 3:46.60 was set in 2010.
The teams compete next on March 22, when they will travel to Ithaca for the Spring Outdoor Invitational hosted by Cornell. That meet is set to begin at 10 a.m.